The Rottweiler Quarterly Reviews . . . ·
"How to Select a Rottweiler Puppy and Develop a Champion"
Some of our readers wanted us to review books and other media that is pertinent to the Rottweiler. We never realized just how many hats an editor is supposed to wear when we started this magazine! But, I like hats so why not try a few on! If any of our readers would like us to review anything that they feel is pertinent to the Rottweiler breed in particular and to dogs and dog ownership in general, please feel free to provide us with that which is to be reviewed and we'll do our best to share our impressions with you all.
I didn't feel it was enough for me to review this beautifully produced film. Some of my impressions were colored by 26 years in the fancy. So I prevailed upon Dee Hernandez of Gilroy, California to share her impressions of this video with us. Dee is very new to Rottweilers and is in that formative stage of trying to read, learn and absorb like a sponge any and all information she can glean on the breed. Dee handily had available a "Course Evaluation" sheet that she revised slightly in order to make it work for a video review. Her expectation for the video was mostly met. She wanted to learn everything possible there was to learn on "How to Select a Rottweiler Puppy and Develop a Champion." She felt that most of her expectations were met. She felt the quality of instruction might have been "more professional"; thought the most helpful features were showing and telling what a buyer's priorities should be when purchasing (i.e., temperament, type, then soundness); liked it when faults of puppies and dogs were shown and discussed; was fascinated by the different types of breeding strategies that were discussed. Dee particularly liked the recap at the end and over all gave this video a "great review." She circled adjectives that most described her feelings on the film. They were: "Enjoyable, valuable, relevant, practical, well-organized, and instructive." She then picked up the phone and ordered two copies of the video! I would say that she liked it!
To be fair to the producers of this video, Dee's relatively minor objections were that she really wanted something that would virtually teach her everything-she'd-ever-need-to-know-about-Rottweilers-in her whole life. She was disappointed the video didn't talk more about how to discipline; how much time it took to develop an obedience winner or champion dog (and what happens when they're not of top caliber); wanted to see a deeper explanation of the standard, describe the faults in the standard and then show them. Dee is in a hurry to know all there is to know and hoped this video would answer ALL her needs in one sitting. C'mon, Dee! Give these guys a break. They don't make video tapes long enough to even begin to touch on everything potential owners would need to know. I'm afraid there are no real shortcuts to the best teachers who are named: Time, Study, Patience, and good old Experience.
Now, for Robin Stark's evaluation of the video: I was immediately impressed with the slick and professional quality of the tape. Not quite up to M.G.M.'s standards, but WAY beyond the usual "home grown" variety of a video production. The opening encapsulated history of the Rottweiler breed, was dramatic, and made me want to rush right out and purchase one of these noble beasts.
The next segment brought us to the very lovely home and kennels of Von Ross Rottweilers and introduced the viewer to the adult Rottweilers housed therein. This section was a bit too long and (frankly) seemed to be a bit self-promotional during my initial viewing. Editing would help and would make more sense if, for instance, the sire and dam and/or grandparents of the baby puppies was shown in relation to their pedigree. The dogs were lovely, however, and obviously live a life of leisure in as nice a kennel as you'd ever want to see. Kelly Ann and Murray Ross are both very attractive and dedicated people. They both narrated the video and did an admirable job, though both of them seemed a bit too stiffly formal.
When we finally got to the puppies, Kelly Ann and Murray saved the day and said just about all the right things a potential buyer should hear. Things such as: Don't buy the first puppy you see; shop carefully before you buy; be sure to visit several shows and specialty shows in order to ascertain which type of Rottweiler it is you prefer; don't expect to buy a pet-quality puppy for a pet price and hope it will become a show dog.
I was impressed with the obvious integrity of the Ross' and was pleased when Kelly Ann pointed out things that were her personal preferences as opposed to being de facto necessities outlined in the standard. The program goes on to show how to tape ears, discusses the importance of pedigrees, shows how the Von Ross kennels feed, raise, and give basic training tips. There are many tidbits of good advice throughout on how to develop the character, attitude and physical well-being of a Rottweiler puppy. ·
*Is it helpful? Yes. Who should buy it? Probably everybody in the breed will find something of value in this handsome addition to their reference library. It is informative (I learned more than a few things from it), it is instructive, it is entertaining, and it is attractive. What's not to like about it? It's not perfect, but it's very, very, very good to excellent - especially for novices. I recommend that you add it to your list of "Should Have's".
Robin Stark,
Editor
The Rottweiler Quarterly
The video is perfect for the Rottweiler lover. It covers training, and personality development for show, obedience, or schutzhund (guard dog), it covers the history of the breed, going to a dog show, visiting Rottweilers in their home, talking to prominent breeders and discussions about the Head and movement of the dogs. It is very well done and entertaining. I am sure you will love it.
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